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Challenge Cup: Toulon can save its season and make history

2023-05-19T05:57:58.907Z

Highlights: Toulon face Glasgow in the Challenge Cup final in Dublin on Friday night. If Toulon win, they will become the first French club to win both European Cups. The French club have failed four times in the final (2010, 2012, 2020 and 2022) The latest, last year against LOU, was a bitter failure (30-12) at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. "It will be a life-and-death match... We've played some big games before," says Glasgow's Richie Gray.


Toulon face Glasgow this Friday night in Dublin in the Challenge Cup final. Only eighth in the Top 14 and almost certain not to


It would be the tree that hides the forest, but it would be a beautiful tree. If they win against Glasgow on Friday night, RCT would become the first French club to win both European Cups. Ten years to the day after the first of their three Champions Cup titles, Toulon have another opportunity to finally win the Challenge Cup after failing four times in the final (2010, 2012, 2020 and 2022). The latest, last year against LOU, was a bitter failure (30-12) at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.

"Rehashing the past is never very good: lost finals are not an emotional factor at all. It's completely different. We are focused on this final to win it, "assured scrum-half Baptiste Serin. This time, it is at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin that the title will be played.

D-1 🗣️

This morning, Pierre Mignoni, Charles Ollivon, Cornell du Preez and Cheslin Kolbe answered the press live from Dublin, before the final of the Challenge Cup 🏆

A replay to be found in full now on https://t.co/RWYzBAdMue with our partner #GroupeAGPM 👇

— RCT - RC Toulon (@RCTofficiel) May 18, 2023

"The important thing is to bring back a title"

Toulon has the opportunity to perpetuate the tradition of French clubs in this competition, winners eleven times in 26 editions. But this will certainly not be what Serin's teammates will have in mind. "The goal is to win the cup. It leads to qualification for the Champions Cup but I think that for the whole group, to improve the work for some time and also pay for all the efforts made by everyone, the important thing is to bring back a title. »

A title that would console everyone, the Toulon season being very complicated. Eighth in the Top 14, Pierre Mignoni's players are unlikely to see the final phase. Even less since their heavy defeat against Racing, last weekend in Le Havre. For this, it would be necessary that the RCT wins against Bordeaux with offensive bonus in the last league match and, at the same time, Bayonne dominates the LOU without any team scoring a bonus. In other words, an unlikely scenario which makes this Friday night's match more than crucial.

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It will also be for Glasgow, for whom it is a first at this stage of the competition and who have the opportunity to bring the first continental title to a Scottish club. "It will be a life-and-death match ... We've played some big games before. I do not know if it will be the biggest but it will necessarily be one of the biggest games in the history of the club, "said the second line of the Warriors Richie Gray, passed by Castres and Toulouse.

The only certainty at the moment is that an 18th different club will be added to the Challenge Cup list.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2023-05-19

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